Chapter 1

When I saw Natalie Duvall again, she and Cody Hudson were busy coaxing Shane Maddox, who had just tanked his race.

I, on the other hand, had just taken the checkered flag in the rally.

The second I pulled off my helmet, a chill ran down my spine, as if someone were staring daggers into the back of my neck. Before I could turn around, I heard footsteps rushing up behind me.

The next second, a force yanked me backward.

My eyes locked with Natalie's.

In her gaze, I saw sheer shock and my own calm reflection.

It had been five years. Her face was just as cold as ever, but her emotions were much closer to the surface now.

"Benjamin Hudson? It really is you!"

Her reaction was almost funny. Who else did she think it would be?

Beside her, Cody froze right where he stood. He had grown a lot taller, and the look in his eyes was deeply conflicted.

"Dad, what are you doing? Are you seriously trying to copy him?"

I froze, his words instantly dragging me straight back to my previous life.

Back then, Natalie and Cody were completely obsessed with watching Shane on the track. They would disappear for weeks on end, not even coming home.

Desperate, I went up to the attic, dug out my dusty old helmet and racing suit, and drove out to find them. I wanted to prove to them that I was just as good as Shane.

Instead, they tore me to shreds.

"Dad, I can't stand a copycat," Cody had sneered. "No matter how hard you try, you'll never look half as cool as Mr. Maddox."

"Look at yourself, Benjamin. You're completely out of shape. You look ridiculous trying to squeeze into a suit like that next to Shane."

The memory made my blood boil with a mix of shame and fury.

The thrill of racing had never been about a person's body. It was a combination of speed and technique.

Driven by anger, I challenged Shane to a race right then and there.

Shane was clad in a royal blue racing suit. He was lean, and his textured, messy hair gave him a rebellious edge. He was the center of attention, and a stay-at-home dad like me was beneath his contempt.

"I don't race guys like you. It wouldn't even be a fair fight," he said.

When I kept pushing, Natalie lost her patience and shoved me away.

Cody hadn't been any kinder, looking at me with impatience written all over his face. "Dad, why do you insist on humiliating yourself?"

With that, they slammed the door in my face.

They left me out on the pavement, screaming and raging like a lunatic until my throat tore and I was coughing up blood.

Broken and defeated, I finally drove home.

On the drive back, my brain felt like a blown engine, buzzing with a deafening ring while tears blurred my vision. In a split second, the car clipped the shoulder and flipped violently.

As my life bled out in the crash, I looked back at the absolute joke my life had been. I swore that if I ever got a do-over, I would never live like this ever again.

Seeing that I wasn't responding, Shane ran a hand through his hair and smirked at me.